


Morals in Red, White and Blue

by Chilling_in_my_nest



Series: Colors of Morality [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Mentioned Natasha Romanov - Freeform, mentioned James "Bucky" Barnes - Freeform, mentioned Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 17:06:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17207450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chilling_in_my_nest/pseuds/Chilling_in_my_nest
Summary: Just a short little piece about how Steve's morals change over time and how that would be reflected in colors.





	Morals in Red, White and Blue

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this up when I couldn't sleep, so if it doesn't make sense, sorry.  
> My grammar, spelling, etc. is awful, I own up to this, and I depend on my documents correction. Any help if you notice something is greatly appreciated!  
> My first time posting something, so constructive criticism, comments, kudos (if anyone actually reads this) are all going to make my year! That goes for anything I should be tagging to. Thanks!

White- this is seen at the beginning of Captain America First Avenger. Steve's morality if straight forward and to the point. He stand up for what he believes in at the expense of his own health, doesn't tolerate bullies, believes in helping others (as seen by his intense desire to be a soldier in the war to help the allied people).

 

Red- This morality comes into being when Steve's told by Phillips that no one's going to rescue the 107th. Red morals start to come into play here, though it's Steve's still dominated white morals that leads to the one man rescue, red only beginning to taint the white. After rescuing the 107th, Steve's white morals turn more red as the Howling Commandos are formed. Being in war changes a person and Steve is no exception. When confronted with the fact he must kill the enemy to survive and aid the war efforts- an enemy fighting for what they believe in just like Steve- one must be able to cope with the fact they're killing other people just like them- brothers, fathers, friends, sons, etc.- yet they cannot hesitate. Any romanticized view of war is ripped away in the fact of hardships of going hungry and cold, seeing your fellow soldiers wounded or killed, and being forced into the position to make conscious, tactical decisions on how to best kill the most people on the other side.

Throughout the war we see Steve's white morals slowly being taken over the red of war. White morals can never truly be white once again after being tainted. White can, however, still exist in spots and pieces inside the new morals; it's this we see when Steve sacrifices himself to put the plane down, the last shred of his white morals shining through his red.

 

Blue- This morality is developed all throughout the first Avengers movie. Steve is pulled from the ice and thrust into a new life in a new situation in the future- a completely different time than what he knew. Coming straight from the war, his red morals are his dominant morals. These morals are what make him butt heads violently against Tony Stark, who's own morals are an arc reactor blue. Steve himself doesn't understand blue morals, and thus mistakes Tony for having no morals besides being selfish. It's at the end of the movie when Tony sacrifices himself that we see the first instance of blue morals and it's from there that Steve himself adapts his own navy blue morals.

Do not mistake the different shades in these similar morals to mean that Steve had darker morals than Tony or any such conclusion; it's merely a representation of how they use these morals and their personality because of such morals. Tony's own arc reactor morals are bright and pale due to the fact he uses parts of his personality as a shield of such that distracts and dazzles others to keep them from getting close to him personally. He blinds others using the bright blue to keep his own morals safe from what could exploit- he's self centered but very aware and caring of the lives of others (this is what makes him Iron Man in the first place and why he and the suit are not separate entities). It's the second part of these morals that can be easily exploited and need his icy exterior to protect.

Steve's own navy blue morals are used like a smokescreen. By the time Winter Soldier has begun, Steve's blue morals are taking over his red morals, and it's the shadier nature of navy morals that make him and Natasha Romanov such close colleagues. The darker shade of blue is used because Steve uses his Captain America persona as a shield against those around him. He embodies the good soldier and golden boy persona to keep people at arms length, away from Steve's personality and persona that we see glimpses of with Sam Wilson and Natasha- who's own dark morals are as smokey and used for the same purpose of presenting others with what they want to see.

Blue morals are, first and foremost, a smokescreen. They are made to hide and protect true morals and personalities from those who would manipulate or exploit them. They are a shield to be used as both defense and offense. This is seen when Steve uses his blue morals as a call to action against Hydra during Project Insight launch or as a protection against Strike Teams attempts at getting closer to him, demonstrated during the opening mission of the movie.

We see this first hand when Steve's blue morals- those of the perfect soldier and golden boy he'd used 'trusting' everyone in power in the future- have a wavering moment were red morals come more to surface as he's arguing with Nick Fury about Natasha's sub mission to the mission he led. We also see his blue morals retract fully, letting red and white morals become dominant, when Steve is fighting the Winter Soldier but would rather be killed than harm whatever was left of Bucky inside the brainwashed Hydra weapon. Steve's white morals shown the brightest in this moment, as they would never allow Steve to hurt his best friend, but it's his red morals that make him give the command to fire at the hellicarier they were on, as well as injure Bucky in a fight in order to continue his goal of saving people from Project Insight.

We also see examples of Steve's blue morals in Age of Ultron, as well as Civil War. It's Steve's red morals that refuse to allow him to sign the accords, but it's his blue morals that act as a cover for his red while he initially tries to argue against them. It's Steve's red and blue morals that lead to him fighting against Tony to get to Siberia, and Steve's red morals that turn him into a fugitive with Bucky in order to achieve this goal. Steve's blue morals are shattered at the end of Civil War when he brings down the shield on Tony, showcasing the dark red, war morals that never truly left him. Only disguised, these bloody morals are only born in war and never truly leave someone, they're only disguised by a smokey blue.

It's further testament to his shattered blue morals- ridding himself of the navy cloak he'd been hiding from- as well as to the fact Steve does still have pieces of his white morals when he leaves the shield behind with Tony. As his blue morals were based upon the shield which is the symbol of Captain America, Steve is leaving them behind, embracing his red and white morals as he follows Bucky, who's own morals are a dark shadowy red, away from Siberia.

 


End file.
